Process of producing casein.



V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUBREY D. CHARLES, OF BELLOVVS FALLS, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO CASEIN COMPANY OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING CASEIN.

S.PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,999, dated Marc 1903- Application filed January 12, 1903. Serial. No. 138,742. (No specimens.)

T 00% whom it may concern: water. The curd is then worked in this di- Be it known that I, AUBREY D. CHARLES, a lute-sulfuric-acid solution until itis in concitizen of the United States, residing at Beldition to be pressed. The addition of the lows Falls, in the county of Windham and sulfuric acid to the wash-Water has a very 5 State of Vermont, have invented or discovpronounced effect upon the curd, changing ered certain new and useful Improvementsin its character, so that the surplus water may Processes of Producing Casein,0f which the be readily pressed out of the curd by placing following is a specification. the same between clothsa procedure which In making casein when the whey is to be is very difficult or impossible with muriatic- IO utilized for the manufacture of milk-sugar acid-precipitated curd that has not been subit is necessary to use muriatic acid as a prejected to this dilute-sulfuric-acid treatment. cipitant for the curd from the milk, for the It has been discovered that the muriaticreason that small percentages of muriatic acid acid-precipitated casein which has been subleft in the whey do no harm, whereas if sulject-ed to this dilute-sulfuric-acid treatment 15 furic acid be employed as the precipitant even makes a solution which is essentially the small percentages thereof in the whey would same as a casein solution made from sulfuricbe detrimental to the milk-sugar. acid-precipitated curd in that thin solutions It is a well-known fact that casein precipiof the muriatic-acid-precipitated curd which tated from milk with muriatic acid makes has been subjected to the dilute-sulfuric-acid 20 very thick solutions-that is to say, casein treatment are obtained with a comparatively which has been precipitated by muriatic acid small amount of water with the alkali used when dissolved in six times its weight of Wafor the solutions. ter with the alkali used as a solvent pro- In practicing the invention or discovery duces about the same thickness of solution the following formula is found to produce the 2 5 as casein which has been precipitated by sulbest results: Take about six and one-half cans furic acid when dissolved in about four times or five hundred and twenty-five pounds of its weight of water-and this thick solution is milk and heat same to 120 Fahrenheit and very undesirable for many purposes, particuthen precipitate the curd by the use of twentylarly if the casein solution is to be utilized six ounces of muriatic acid. After the pre- 0 for waterproofing and coating paper, which cipitation is complete drain off the whey and is a purpose for which immense quantities of then wash the curd in about one thousand casein are now employed and in which use gallons of water heated to from 130 to 140 thin solutions are desirable. Fahrenheit and containing twenty-two ounces This invention or discovery has for its obof sulfuric acid. Then work the curd in this 35 ject to provide a product of casein which has acidulated water until it is in a condition to been precipitated by muriatic acid, but from press, drain and press the curd, and therewhich thin casein solutions may be produced. after dry it at. a temperature of about 130 In practicing the new process the curd is Fahrenheit. precipitated from the milk with the smallest The invention or discovery, however, is not 4o amount of muriatic acid possible and with the to be understood as being limited to the exmilk preferably at a temperature of about act temperatures orthe exactproportionsjust Fahrenheit. After the precipitation is stated, as these may be varied somewhat withcomplete the whey is drained off and the curd out departing from the essence of the invenis washed with water, preferably heated to tion ordiscovery or without losing the advan- 5 45 from to Fahrenheit and containing tages resulting therefrom.

a small percentage of sulfuric acid. The Having thus described my invention or disamount of acidulated water introduced into covery, I claim and desire to secure by Letters the vat should be sufficient to cover all of the Patentwet curd, and the proportion of sulfuric acid 1. The herein-described process for producrco 50 in this wash-water will be about twenty-two ing casein, consisting in precipitating curd ounces to about one thousand gallons or so of from milk with muriatic acid and subseture of about 120 Fahrenheit, and then washl ing the curd with a dilute-sulfuric-acid solution heated to about 130 to 140 Fahrenheit, and subsequently pressing the curd and drying the same at a temperature of about 130 Fahrenheit.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUBREY D. CHARLES.

\Vitnesses:

D. W. LINTON, A. F. GRIGNON. 

